That means describes Rodriguez walked interprets away from$ 72 million when he opted out of the contract: salaries of$ 24 million owed by the Yankees in each of the next three seasons Texas did save$ 21. PHOENIX( AP- Yusmeiro Petit didn' t find out until Monday that he' d be Arizona' s starting pitcher on Tuesday night. Hedo Turkoglu and Steve Francis each scored 16 points, with Francis adding eight assists, five rebounds and five steals He also had seven of the Magic' s 17 turnovers. At the same time, we have our guys on our team that didn' t play for a while, now they' ll get back into the swing of things " If San Antonio can get their shooting game back on track, then they can turn their attention to trying to contain Denver' s All- Star duo. The franchise knew what was going on with Moore and Mudd and was sympathetic to their concerns. It' s a rarity " Benson hadn' t gone the distance since Sept 14, 2004, for the Mets against the Braves. Weaver( 6- 6, who has won four of his last five starts after struggling early in the season, held the Rays to three hits over the first seven innings before giving up a solo homer to Gabe Gross in the eighth " Obviously it' s been a little roller coaster for me, a little different than in past years " said Weaver " That' s just guys trying to make adjustments on me and me trying to make adjustments on them " Shields( 4- 5) was making his first start since being ejected in a June 5 game at Boston when he hit Boston outfielder Coco Crisp with a pitch to open the second inning, leading to a bench clearing brawl.

Instead, he' ll pitch on seven days' rest Monday " I prefer to pitch when I was supposed to pitch . The Warriors are 19- 21, but still off to their best 40- game start since 1993- 94- also the last time they made the playoffs The clubs finish their season series in Oakland next month Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press . It was very difficult to let Wali go " Others cut on Friday were center Drew Hodgdon, guard Mike Brisiel, receivers Bethel Johnson and David Anderson, quarterback Jared Zabransky, running back Darius Walker, fullback Jon Abbate, tackle Brandon Frye, defensive backs John Walker, Ty Poole, Dexter McCleon and Brandon Mitchell, defensive linemen Alfred Malone, DelJuan Robinson, Tim Bulman and Victor DeGrate and linebacker Trent Bray . But while Benitez has been one of the game' s top closers in the regular season with 244 saves in 283 chances- the fourth best percentage all- time- his postseason history is spotty . I know we' re going to put a streak together " manager Joe Torre said " But it hasn' t happened yet We' re just coming up empty. Cashman and Tellem have worked out contracts for Hideki Matsui, Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi, so striking a deal for Igawa doesn' t figure to be difficult " If we can secure him, we' ll put him in the back of the rotation " Cashman said Wednesday " I' ve seen him on video and we' ve had multiple looks over the last several years " New York gained his rights with a bid of$ 26, 000, 194- the last three digits matching Igawa' s strikeout total this year. Miguel Tejada singled and scored on Aubrey Huff' s RBI double into the left- field corner.

He finished at 90 pitches with 49 strikes " All things considered, he got better as he went along . Ravens highlights- Highlights of the Ravens' 27- 9 victory over the Dolphins from NFL GameDay . Louis Cardinals' team physician, Scott Rolen' s day- to- day calf strain became a longer term injury . Bonds, who has 703 home runs to rank third on baseball' s career list behind Hank Aaron( 755) and Babe Ruth( 714, returned to his Beverly Hills home in late June to continue rehabilitating his right knee . During batting practice, players wore extra layers and ski caps as snow flurries fell, and they warmed themselves with dugout heaters. Without Rollins sparking things at the top, an offense that led the league in runs the last two years has sputtered " Our pitching has been good enough for us to have a winning record " Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said " We need to start hitting " Perez( 2- 0) allowed four hits, struck out seven and overcame five walks. Schable, signed as an undrafted free agent a year ago, appeared in 11 games last season, mostly on special teams.

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher left a roster spot open so Woodson could return . When I feel healthy, I' ve been able to do what I' m doing now " Soriano, who came off the disabled list last week after missing six weeks with a broken left hand, got the Cubs going in this game, too, scoring in the first inning when Parra threw a wild pitch on a two- out strikeout " I felt the presence of Soriano in our lineup would mean a lot to us from an offensive standpoint " Cubs manager Lou Piniella said " And it has . Associated PressPHOENIX- Bill Hall' s nerves began getting to him as he was driving to the park He was fine once he reached the field . You just want to see what he does " Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said it was hard to believe Artest hasn' t played at The Palace since the brawl . The Jazz recovered from a slow start and took control of the game in the second quarter. Updated: September 5, 2009, 6: 22 PM ET Former first- round pick Harrington cut Comment Email Print Share Associated Press METAIRIE, La- Quarterback Joey Harrington and veteran defensive end Paul Spicer are among the 22 players who have been cut by the New Orleans Saints. Zito pitched eight strong innings and the surging Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 7- 2 on Saturday night.

Acquired in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, Davis allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings . Like Bob said, we won 93 games and we' re not going to reinvent the wheel " Geren, a catcher for five seasons with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, spent the 2006 season as bench coach in Oakland after three seasons as bullpen coach in his first stint on a major league coaching staff " I think it helped him quite a bit " Beane said Tuesday in his first and only public comments about the search " But until you sit in that chair, the only preparation is really doing it " Geren joined the A' s organization in 1999 as manager of Class- A Modesto, then spent the next three seasons managing at Triple- A Sacramento . About one in every 70 packs will include a picture of the former New York City mayor, fist raised in victory, celebrating with the Red Sox on the field after their World Series win Yankees fans need not worry, though . It gave me confidence in myself that I might have lost and that might not have been there first# 8221- Heat forward Michael Beasley In a 17- minute session with three reporters, Beasley was asked if has a substance abuse issue " No, sir " was the response . Archive Through April 20 " SportsCenter " will put every NFL team " On The Clock " Scouts Inc. Updated: August 14, 2008, 3: 55 PM ET Man charged after sending threatening letters to Coughlin Comment Email Print Share Associated Press PHILADELPHIA- Federal investigators have charged a Philadelphia man with trying to blackmail New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin by sending him letters threatening to expose a fictitious sexual tryst with two women. No hard feelings " he said on Milwaukee television news Friday night.

Updated: June 4, 2005, 8: 22 PM ET Boss: It' s in Torre' s, Cashman' s hands Email Print Share Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS- With The Boss applying pressure, Yankees manager Joe Torre is trying to keep the wry smile on his face- believing that his struggling club is still good enough to turn things around . Not since Fernando Valenzuela went 8- 0 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 had any rookie launched his career with seven wins in seven starts " We' re getting wins . Arroyo nearly gave up a fifth homer in the sixth, when Pedro Feliz' s drive hit the left- field wall a couple of feet from the top . It spasmed up on me while I was in here icing " Right now I' m day- to- day, but I' d say I' m doubtful for the next two days " Game notes Anderson has three hits in four career at- bats against Broxton . Burzichelli said it would be amended in the Senate, which hasn' t considered it. Information for The Associated Press was used in this report. The defense is young and on the verge of becoming a quality group, but it needs the offense to control the clock and keep it off the field to be effective.

Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado was the top player in the major leagues at 98 . and other players hurt them, the Reds increased their payroll by$ 17 million and started this year with three straight wins . Bonds' best swing was a hard liner that landed foul down the right- field line . I don' t think he' ll play the whole weekend " World Series MVP shortstop David Eckstein( back spasms) and pitcher Braden Looper( shoulder) could return soon . Fontenot finished the three- game sweep of the Rockies 9- for- 13 after going 5- for- 5 Monday night " What a job he' s done, huh? He really has " manager Lou Piniella said after the Cubs extended their longest winning streak since a seven- game run from May 27- June 2, 2005 " Winning is like a massage " Piniella said " It' s like a relaxer. Manny Corpas went 1- 2- 3 in the top of the ninth, and Bell sent the game into extra innings by retiring the side in the bottom half, stranding the potential winning run at first base. Will Venable hit a pair of RBI singles in San Diego' s six- run second inning, Kyle Blanks added a two- run homer during that outburst and the San Diego Padres beat the sliding Marlins 9- 5 Friday night, further derailing Florida' s postseason hopes.

7 seconds remaining to push Miami' s edge back to three, Wade stole the ball from McCants on the next possession, and Miami held on " We came out and we fought and we did everything that we could possibly do to win the game " Telfair said " So we can live with that " For the second time in as many home games- and continuing one of the Heat trends so far this season- Miami started a home game well, built a quick margin, and then wasted it even faster . Guard Richie Incognito underwent surgery on his right kneecap on Tuesday, a procedure that the team had projected would knock him out the rest of the year . The 40th overall choice in the draft, Henry has appeared in only two games, and has rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries He also has two receptions for 12 yards . Both Washington and Hartline saw their production decline this fall . The Dukes came up just short on their home court, but Evans said jitters weren' t the problem. Maddux spent his first seven big league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, then pitched for Atlanta from 1993- 2003 before rejoining the Cubs Chicago traded him to the Dodgers on July 31. Pressure to perform? It' s only just begun for Alex Rodriguez Pedro Gomez is a reporter for ESPN.

Boston remained six games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East and dropped to 1# 189; games ahead of Texas in the wild- card race . 4 points " Obviously, I think Ray should have made it " Rivers said " The fact that he had to sacrifice the most of the three . Mihm' s 19- foot jumper gave Los Angeles a 52- 48 lead and started the run . The Coast Guard believes that strong waves eventually broke up the foursome, with Corey and Marquis drifting away first Will and Nick clung to the boat . I' m a feel hitter, just like there' s feel golfers " Sullivan had a pair of RBI doubles for Colorado " I was taking too many fastballs " said Sullivan, who' s seen his average raise 31 points since he was hitting. Minnesota was 9 1/ 2 games back as recently as July 25 " It means we' re getting closer " Michael Cuddyer said " We' re not there yet, but at the same time we' re on the right path " The Twins have struggled mightily on offense as of late, having scored more than three runs only three times in their last 11 games and batting 230 in August. Percival struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect ninth inning, blowing away Wladimir Balentien- who had earlier hit a two- run homer- and then Yuniesky Betancourt to end save No 25, in 28 chances That' s 17 more saves than he had from 2005- 07.

Kinsler' s solo shot with one out in the sixth, his 11th of the season, was on the last pitch Saunders threw . The Nets took a 60- 58 lead on Carter' s 3- pointer with five minutes left in the third, and were still up 68- 67 at period' s end Carter and Kidd combined for 18 points in the period . The Knicks rallied to take the lead in the third quarter- allowing Brown to take a positive from the loss- before Jamison took over the game in the final period " I' d have been horrified if we didn' t fight back " Brown said . Quinn' s signing leaves two first- round picks- Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the top overall selection, and cornerback Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets, the No 14 choice- without contracts . Tailback Darren McFadden finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting the last two years, but Nutt' s teams often lacked balance. Widely regarded as one of the top defensive masterminds in the game, Johnson is known for his aggressive, attacking style, and his defenses have played a major role in the Eagles' success over the last decade. If anyone does not, that person will not be a part of this franchise " The drama with Cutler began to unfold when Denver flirted with trying to acquire Matt Cassel, McDaniels' star pupil in New England.

The real responsibility in those cases would come to the singled- up corner who had that receiver all by himself, away from that rotated coverage . Lasorda can' t help but wonder why Rodriguez stands alone, the only player on that list of 104 to be identified so far " If his name is out, then everybody' s name should be out " Lasorda said . On Wednesday night, San Diego opened a 5- 0 lead behind Jake Peavy( 5- 5, then watched Arizona pull within 5- 4 before putting the game away with three runs in the eighth inning, taking advantage of four walks and two errors . J- Richard Jefferson' s ankle injury was one of the many reasons the New Jersey Nets underachieved this season . He has caught at least 67 passes in each of his last nine seasons, which is more than anyone caught for Tennessee in 2006. Branch said he told Stenson the third baseman " is not in that tree where you hit the first two home runs. I think as we go down the road we intend to do things to improve the club, and as we get there, we' ll both be able to smile at the end of it " The Orioles perceived Hernandez to be one of the prize position players available in free agency " When we went into the offseason, part of our goal was to help the pitching, to help the defense and to help the offense.

I almost did " Pierzynski said " He wasn' t trying to hit me and I wasn' t trying to get hit It just looked like it got away from him . He struck out seven and walked three in winning for the first time in six starts . Kelly Johnson walked with two out in the fifth, and Escobar homered to cut the Braves' deficit to 4- 3 . AFC North blog ESPN' s James Walker writes about all things AFC North in his division blog# 8226& nbsp; Blog network: NFL Nation " We' ll check him out and see if he' ll be able to do much this week " Browns coach Romeo Crennel said . 75 million, three- year deal to bring back right- hander Vicente Padilla. The evidence- admissibility motion is one of several still undecided. Payton has played 103 career playoff games, and he was on the court during the fourth quarter of 101 of them.

He received a cortisone shot about a month ago and said he won' t need surgery " I feel I could be out there, but we had to decide if it was worth the risk and not take the chance " he said . Among the reasons the Chargers enter the year as a Super Bowl contender is that Gates is healthy, and he' s running and cutting in a manner that hasn' t been seen of late . That was outstanding " Robertson rewarded Leyland' s faith by striking out Richie Sexson and inducing Kenji Johjima to hit into a double play " It' s a two- way street " Robertson added " Later in the year if there' s another situation like that, hopefully he' ll have that same kind of approach . Matt Treanor' s double to left in the seventh broke a 5- 5 tie . The Royals have been swept in consecutive four- game series for the first time in team history. We know that Europeans will pay a lot to see soccer games but we need to make sure that the model will fit with the NBA. After a while, you become immune to it " Jefferson points to the results.